Physical inactivity increases risk for colon, endometrial & lung cancer
Physical inactivity increases risk for colon, endometrial & lung cancer
18 Jun 2014
Physical inactivity has been blamed for diseases like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Now it is also linked to the risk of certain cancers.
In particular, sedentary behavior can also increase the risk of certain cancers, according to a study published in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
4 million individuals and 70 thousand cancer cases analyzed
To assess the relationship between TV viewing time, recreational sitting time, occupational sitting time, and total sitting time with the risk of various cancers, Daniela Schmid, Ph.D., M.Sc., and Michael F. Leitzmann, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Germany, conducted a meta-analysis of 43 observational studies, including over 4 million individuals and 68,936 cancer cases. Data in the individual studies had been obtained with self-administered questionnaires and through interviews.
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The researchers write "That sedentariness has a detrimental impact on cancer even among physically active persons implies that limiting the time spent sedentary may play an important role in preventing cancer...."
In an accompanying editorial, Lin Yang and Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Siteman Cancer Center and Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, write that these results "...support a causal relation between sedentary behavior and both colon and endometrial cancers." They comment that cancer prevention requires good evidence, political will, and a social strategy to fund and implement prevention programs.
Source: Medical News Today